Someone To Watch Over Me
by Purple Lacey
 

Part 20

The party had broken up an hour before Buck slipped his arms into his jacket and swiped up his keys from his dresser as he headed out of his bedroom and down the stairs.  He stopped at he door of the den and called out to the pair sitting on one of the sofa’s talking softly, “JD, Casey, I’m going out for awhile.  Would you keep an ear out for Ezra in case he wakes up?”

“Sure, Buck,” JD assured him.

“I have my cell if you need me,” Buck called back, already heading toward the front door.  The man stepped out and closed the door behind him quietly then walked toward his truck that was still parked in front of the house.

All through the evening Buck had been simmering.  Although he had make a gigantic effort to conceal it from his friends so as not to spoil the event for them, inside the anger and fear he had felt upon learning Ezra had been attacked by his stepfather had been bubbling and boiling until he had to get it out or explode. And he knew just the target to unload all of it on.  Buck was on his way to Tanner’s place to express his lack of appreciation for the man’s inattention that afternoon.

The angry man rounded the side of his truck and came to an abrupt halt.  There leaning against the driver’s door of his vehicle was Larabee.  Buck shrugged.  This target would serve as well as the other one for now.

“Where the hell where you?” Buck growled as he took a step forward and threw a punch at the Angel without thinking.  Chris winked out of existence before Buck’s fist even came close and the man wound up putting a dent in the door of his truck.  He rubbed his sore knuckles and turned to face the man that was chuckling behind his back.

“One of these days you’re going to learn to control that temper of yours,” Chris told him.

“Answer me!” Buck demanded his voice strained with rage as he refused to be diverted. “Where were you when that bastard was hurting Ezra?  Where were you, damn it?  You’re supposed to be watching over him, protecting him.  Why didn’t you do your job!”

Chris watched him calmly for a moment then replied, “Just because I might have done my job in a way you don’t approve of doesn’t mean I didn’t do it.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean!” Buck ground out.

Larabee looked at him levelly and replied, “Everything worked out just as it should have.  Sawyer will get put away without Ezra having to go through the trauma of being questioned on video tape for the court.  Ezra has seen JD as another protector and not a threat, and he got shown graphically that his stepfather was no longer someone to be scared of because his new family would protect him. Vin has learned that he’s not infallible and not to take things for granted. And JD acquired a bit of confidence in his ability to take care of himself and those that he loves.”

Buck stared at him angrily, “It was another one of your plans, wasn’t it.  You set it all up.  You staged the whole thing!”

Chris nodded in agreement but didn’t answer.

“What if JD hadn’t gotten there in time?  What if Sawyer actually hit him before anybody could have stopped him?” Buck asked still infuriated.

“I stopped him,” Chris told him quietly.

“What?” Buck with surprise, “I thought JD...”

“Sawyer was already starting to hit the boy.  JD was close, but not close enough to stop Sawyer before he could hurt Ezra.  I grabbed his wrist and held it still until JD could get there, a matter of a few seconds. No one noticed, except possibly Sawyer.  As far as everyone knows, including JD, he tackled Sawyer before the vermin had time to bring down his arm.  That’s all anybody needs to know.”

”Damn it!” Buck ground out running a hand through his hair in frustration.  He wanted to be mad at Vin but realized he couldn’t.  The other man had been as much a victim of the angel’s plot as Sawyer. 

“Yeah, that’s right,” Chris answered the unspoken thought.  “If you just need to blame this on someone then blame me.  Vin made a mistake but it was one that I led him right into.  He’s already sorry for it and has learned his lesson.  You don’t have to worry about him ever repeating it.  Ezra will be safe with him.”

“I thought you were supposed to be looking out for Vin not setting him up,” Buck said with disgust

“Believe it or not, I was,” Larabee told him seriously.  “Vin has so much confidence in his abilities that he sometimes forgets that he can make a mistake.  That’s something that might cost him his life one day.  I just reminded him of it in a way that was guaranteed to get his attention without putting him in danger.”

“No, you just put Ezra in danger instead.”  Buck’s temper re-ignited at the thought.

Chris sighed.  “Ezra was never in any danger. I wouldn’t have allowed Sawyer to touch him.”

“That still doesn’t make it right!” Buck told him with a cold stare.

“I can’t go back and change it for you, Buck,” Larabee told him softly, “And I wouldn’t if I could.  Everything turned out for the better.  The only thing I regret is scaring you so badly.  For that, I apologize.”

Buck sighed and shook his head in irritation again as the deep anger he had been feeling slowly drained away.  “Have I told you lately how much I hate it when you start in with these kind of plots,” Buck said tiredly.

Chris grinned at him and cockily said, “That’s not what you said last week when I plotted to bring Ezra into your life.”

Buck couldn’t resist that arrogant smirk and chuckled against his will.  “That was different.  You didn’t scare me to death then.”

Chris grew serious as he said, “I really am sorry you were frightened, but you should have more faith in me.  You should know after all we’ve been through that I would never allow anyone to hurt that boy.”

Buck knew it was his turn to apologize but he was still a bit peeved with the angel and stubbornly remained silent.  Chris just laughed as he read those thoughts in the man’s head.

“So no beating Vin up.  He’s feeling guilty enough right now to let you do it and he really doesn’t deserve it.”

Bucked nodded and said, “I got it.  You don’t have to beat a dead horse.  I’ll make it up with Vin tomorrow.”

“Good,” a satisfied Larabee said. 

“Well, since smashing Vin’s face is no longer an option and I’m already out anyway, I think I’ll go for a walk,” Buck told him zipping up his jacket and sticking his hands in its pockets.  “Clear my head a little bit before I go to bed.”

“It’s a good night for it,” Chris responded with a smile.

“See you later,” Buck bid him goodbye and turned away. 

Chris watched him go for a few moments then winked out of sight.

Part 21

Part 19

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